5 Foods You Need to Stop Eating NOW

(About the Author: Chef Gui Alinat is the author of Eat More, Burn More, a revolutionary new cookbook that suggests methods to make all of your favorite meals much healthier. You can learn more about Chef Gui and Eat More, Burn More here.)

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Hello! Chef Gui here. Today we are going to discuss 5 specific foods you should stop eating right now, if you’re interested in improving your health and cleaning up your diet.

Grocery stores have a way of sneaking nightmare ingredients into our diet, and unless you really pay attention, you wouldn’t even know what’s bad about them.

You see, there are many foods that seem harmless at first glance, but can slow you down and have a lasting, negative impact on your health in the long run, if you’re not careful. If you’re serious about eating clean and maximizing your health, you should avoid the following foods whenever possible.Are you being healthy? Download the FREE kitchen checklist and find out!

1. Store-bought salad dressing

I’ve said it before. A homemade salad dressing is so quick and easy to make, that there is no reason for store-bought salad dressing. The pre-made dressings you’ll find at the store are loaded with counterproductive ingredients such as cane sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, or ingredients you can’t pronounce. Save your dignity – forgo mass-produced garbage that builds body fat and slows you down, and make your own dressing!

2. “Baby” carrots

They look cute and all, but “baby” carrots are often labeled as “baby-cut carrots” for a good reason: There’s nothing “baby” about them. They are just good ol’ carrots that have been specifically bred to be coreless and much sweeter than usual carrots. Furthermore, they are soaked in chlorine (yes, even the organic ones!).

Yesterday I spent time in the grocery store looking at nutrition labels and ingredients. Take a look at these “harmless” chicken nuggets, which the packaging say are “raised without antibiotics,” “gluten free,” and “whole breast meat pieces.” Which is a good start. Other chicken Frankenfoods are made of nasty “pink slime” (Google it) and trust me, that’s no fun.

But the ingredients on the back tell a different story. These particular chicken nuggets are breaded with rice and corn flour (which have a high glycemic index), and evaporated cane juice (which is sugar). You should avoid all of those ingredients as much as possible.

If you’re trying to make healthy choices, you should always avoid processed foods from the frozen aisles of your supermarket.

4. Bacon (unless it’s uncured)

I know. This is the bad news of the week. Everybody likes bacon. But the World Health Organization has deemed that processed meats — such as bacon, sausages, and hot dogs — can cause cancer.

In fact, they’re putting bacon in the same category as tobacco smoking and asbestos. Yikes! Cured bacon is loaded with nitrates (a preservative) and sodium, which has also been considered to put a person at risk of heart disease and high-blood pressure.

Time to stop the bacon mania and load up on veggies instead.

5. Sodas… and fruit juices

We all know that sodas (even “diet” sodas) go hand-in-hand with excessive amounts of sugar, weight gain, rotting teeth, and so forth. But did you know a “healthy” glass of orange juice might be making you just the opposite of healthy? In fact, fruit juices are also loaded with sugar (either natural sugar or added sugar) and, if not drunk in moderation, can have adverse effects on your health.

Water is the only liquid you need.

As you can see, it is often very difficult to determine which foods you should be eating and which you should be avoiding when trying to map out your health and wellness goals.

There’s an easier way to take the guesswork out.

In my Eat More, Burn More Cookbook, I’ll show you how to cut the bad, unhealthy ingredients out of all of your favorite dishes. You won’t need to change what you’re eating – just the way in which your favorite dishes are prepared.

Gui Alinat is a Tampa, Fla.-based American Culinary Federation Certified Executive Chef, published food writer, and the owner of Artisan Boutique Catering. He is the author of "The Chef's Repertoire," and "Eat More, Burn More."
Born, raised and classically trained as a chef on the Mediterranean coast of France, he traveled extensively, working in restaurants around the world.
Chef Gui promotes an active lifestyle, sound nutrition, and believes that fresh and tasty food is resolutely compatible with fat loss and bodybuilding alike.
He lives in Florida with his wife Carissa and their five children.

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